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Empowering the next generation of filmmakers.

Being part of Reel Vision made me think that I could actually be a college student someday."
- Hans Elmidor, 17, Somerville High School

Reel Vision

Need:

In Fall of 2005, Newbury Film Series launched the Reel Vision project to provide underserved youth with professional instruction, college credit, and hands-on experience in the art of filmmaking. Our surveys and needs assessment model concluded that this caliber of training – particularly in the greater Boston area - was often limited to university settings and schools in affluent communities.

Since the Fall of 2006, our partnership with The Art Institute of Boston (AIB) and Lesley University has allowed Reel Vision youth filmmakers to obtain college credit while making their films from start to finish. We believe that this partnership alone speaks volumes on the integrity and recognized success of the Reel Vision project. To date, Reel Vision has served over 60 youth at no cost to participants.

The Art Institute of Boston Lesley University

Goals:

It is expected that this experience will help jumpstart plans for further education and career goals. Just being on campus will go a long way in bringing the possibility of a college education into sharper focus for Reel Vision participants.

Hans Elmidor

Over the course of the semester, Reel Vision participants create Public Service Announcements and documentaries about issues relevant to their community. Reel Vision films address community concerns such as racism, violence, smoking, drugs, gangs, and privacy rights. Their films impact thousands of community members and are distributed to national and local youth film festivals, NFS website, myspace accounts, local community access stations, and television youth channels.

In addition teens are exposed to college life and various employment opportunities through guest lectures and trips to production studios. Lending their expertise to the program have been guest lecturers

  • Jose Barriga, Festival Director of Boston Latino International Film Festival (BLIFF),
  • Joe Douillette, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Art's Fast Forward teen media program,
  • Lisa Simmons, President of the Color of Film Collaborative, and
  • Calvin Lindsay, Director of Cable Television TV-8 in Cambridge.

Reel Vision has included field trips to the Do It Your Damn Self!! (DIYDS) National Youth Video and Film Festival, The BLIFF, and the Independent Film Festival of Boston.

Past partnerships include:

  • Citizens SchoolsCitizen Schools in Hyde Park and Mattapan
  • Roca, Inc Chelsea.

Want to get involved with Reel Vision? We need guest lecturers, teachers, team supervisors and more. Contact Dave Rizzotto at info [at] newburyfilmseries [dot] org.